What's Best for Him
by sasuke12234
Summary: After hearing the news, something inside Mako dies along with his brother and now he left alone to take care of another life again. / This is a scrap story for a Makorra Summer Project on Tumblr that I thought would work better as a series. It's inspired from the movie Life As We Know It, but won't really follow the story line. Makorra. Rating/Genre may change.


**A/N:** This is a scrapped idea I had for the Makorra Summer Project, but I thought it would be better as a series story. Please let me know what you think. For the time being I'll be working on it privately till it's finished or until I want to post a new part. **EDIT:** I fixed some mistakes and tied up loose ends that were brought to my attention. If you see anything else that is wrong, please let me know. Thank you.

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"Okay, premade portions of blended food are in the fridge, but if you run out and have to make some more, there are some jars in the pantry that San can eat without being chilled. Oh and these are some cut up grapes he can eat if he wants to," Opal explained as she pulled out a green container from the fridge to show to her brother-in-law. Opal then closed the fridge after placing everything back inside. "And, I know you're not really going to like this, but if you have questions or need any help, Korra's number is right here," she said as she pointed to a small piece of paper pinned to the fridge with the said girl's name on it with two phone numbers under it. "And if she's busy, you can call the front desk for her floor at the hospital and leave a message. She already has it cleared to leave when needed and take calls from you when you do call."

Mako rolled his eyes at the name of his ex. "Opal, I'll be fine. Quit worrying already," he said as he started to usher his sister-in-law out of the kitchen. "This isn't my first time watching San for you and Bo."

"Yeah, but it is the first time you're watching him for an entire weekend," Opal mumbled back as she allowed Mako to push her to the front door of her house.

Mako rolled his eyes again. "I got this Opal. Trust me."

Opal sighed as she went to get her jacket from the hallway closet. "I do. I'm just nervous, that's all. It's our first time away from San for a long time. You'll understand once you have kids," Opal explained as she pulled her jacket on.

"Yeah, well with his transcript that won't happen unless he gets fired," Bolin added as he walked down the stairs with his one-year-old son sitting on his arm. "Here you go bro, He's all clean and smelling like baby powder now," he smiled as he passed San to his uncle.

Mako decided to keep his response to Bolin's comment to himself once he looked at his nephew, the infant's smile becoming contagious. The infant had the same complexion of his mother and the same wide, bright eyes as his father. The little bits of coal black hair on San's head were curled at the ends like Opal's and his cheeks were just as puffy as Bolin's were at that age. Mako smiled at the brief memory and at his nephew before poking his nose to get a little laugh from the infant.

"Thanks again bro for watching San for the weekend. Opal and I really need this vacation," Bolin said as he got his own jacket out of the closet.

"It's no problem, really. You two need to trust me with San more. I am his uncle after all and I practically raised Bolin when we were growing up," Mako commented, finally looking away from his nephew.

"Yeah, but Bolin was six and San is one. That's a big difference," Opal said with slight worry in her voice.

"We trust you bro," Bolin added as he placed his hands on his wife's shoulders to calm her. "We're just not used to you being off work for more than a few hours is all. Now come on Opal, we have to go so we're not late with checking-in." Bolin rubbed Opal's shoulders one more time before turning to open the door and move their suitcases to the car.

Opal watched Bolin for a moment before turning to Mako. "Please call Korra if you need help. No matter what it is, just call her."

Mako thought the request over in his head. As much as he didn't like what he was going to say, he knew he had to say it. "I promise."

With that Opal gave her brother-in-law a hug and her son a kiss good-bye, Bolin doing the same once he was done putting the suitcases in the trunk. Mako smiled as he waved good-bye to them, stopping right when San realized what was going on and started to cry. "Don't worry buddy. They'll be back," Mako soothed as he rubbed his nephew's back and walked back inside the house.

The next morning, Mako's words would be proven wrong and his life thrown into complete hell. He refused to believe what he heard. He refused to go to the viewing. He refused to speak at the funeral. He even refused to stand with the crowd at the burials. To everyone around him, it seemed that when he heard the news something inside Mako died along with his brother.

A month passed and life has seemed to go back to normal with a few hiccups here and there for most people. The worry everyone had over the quiet sibling grew more as time went on. After having his leave from work extended, Mako's boss reached out to the only person she knew could get him out of his isolation. Whether he wanted to or not.

"Mako open the damn door," Korra yelled as she pounded her fist on the door for the fifth time. She then stepped back and did her usual waiting routine, crossing her arms and frustratingly taping her foot on the floor. After counting to ten she huffed out an annoyed sigh and pulled her messenger bag she wore to work in front of her. "I swear to God, when I get in there, his ass is mine," she mumbled to herself as she dug around the front pocket. Korra mumbled a quiet 'yes' and grinned once she grabbed and pulled out a key-ring with a single gold key hanging on it. "Please, please, please, please work," she mumbled as she stuck the key in Mako's apartment door. Once she turned the deadbolt over and did a little happy dance in her head, Korra let herself into the small, single bedroom apartment. "Oh Officer, you of all people should know to change locks whenever you don't get a key back," Korra said to herself as she walked in the living room and took in the site as she dropped her duffle bag and messenger bag by the end of the small hallway.

The tenant was nowhere to be found, but the site was weird for his character. The television was on with the volume louder than what Mako would usually allow and playing a children's channel, completely different that his usual constant playing of news shows or a movie channel. In the space between the television and the coffee table was a crotched afghan that Korra hated for its looks, but loved for its warmth and backstory. The afghan was spread out on the floor and seemed to have other blankets and maybe a few small, thin pillows underneath it to make a soft cushion in contrast from the hardwood floors. Korra then looked around at the couch, seeing some laundry thrown about over the arms and the back of the couch – there where even some folded laundry on one side of the coffee table. There was even food and empty dishes and beer bottles on the coffee table and the side tables, something Mako wouldn't allow at all in his home.

When Korra reached down to open up the pizza box left on the coffee table, Mako casually walked into the living room in a t-shirt and boxers, fresh out of the shower and towel drying his hair. When he pulled the towel back, Mako was shocked to see his ex-girlfriend snooping around his living room and jumped a little. "Jesus Korra! What the hell are you doing here?!"

Korra looked up at Mako for a moment, taking in the sight for just a second. "I see you're still rocking the gag gift underwear I got you for your birthday last year," she said calmly, referring to Mako's blue and white striped boxers.

"Korra," Mako snapped, slight blush creeping up his neck from the comment on his appearance.

"Calm down tiger. You missed the will reading yesterday so Lin sent me," Korra answered as she flipped the pizza box lid completely over. "How old is this?"

"Lunch," Mako answered, still unsure about what to do in this situation. He then looked around and remembered that he locked his door once he saw that the deadbolt was now unlocked. "How did you even get in?"

Korra simply held up her hand with the key ring dangling from her finger as her answer. She then picked up a slice of pizza and sat down on the cushioned arm of the arm chair closest to her. "Delivery for lunch. Yep, you have totally gone off the deep end," Korra said before taking a bite of her slice of pizza.

"I have not, and give that to me!" Mako snatched the key from Korra's hand, only getting an amused smile from her. "Why are you here?"

"I told you," Korra paused to swallow, "You missed the will reading yesterday so Lin asked me to come by and kick you back into shape. You've been on leave for a month now and MIA almost the whole time – even when you're out and about you never say a word to anyone."

Listening to her, and feeling a little annoyed that Korra didn't come on her own choice, Mako walked over to the kitchen area and dropped her key to the small bowl holding his own set of keys. He then walked over to the fridge and pulled out a bottle beer before walking back to the living room. "So what were you planning to do? Yell at me? Threaten me?" Mako sat on the couch, throwing the bottle cap on the coffee table, hitting other bottle caps as it landed.

"Are you drinking beer," Korra asked, the scene in front of her being more intriguing than the questions asked. Mako nodded his head before throwing it back as he took a gulp. Korra pulled her phone out of her back pocket, "It's only 3. And you're a scotch man who only drinks at special events and parties."

Mako lowered the bottle just slightly and reached for the remote to change the television to a movie channel. "Yeah, well when you dump someone and don't really talk to them for a year, that person can change," Mako said with a snide smile before taking another gulp of beer, the bottle now being only half way full.

Korra narrowed her eyes at him, swallowing her reply as she decided to observe the room once more. She looked down at her feet a noticed a bright green object poking out from underneath the chair she was sitting on. Sliding off the arm and onto the cushion of the arm chair – moving the folded laundry out of her way as she did – Korra leaned down and picked up a bright green teething ring with a cartoon frog's head on top of it. "So, where is he," Korra asked without looking at the obviously broken man sitting near her.

Mako groaned as he put his bottle down. "Korra, I'm sick and tired of that joke," he said as he finally looked over at her in anger. Mako's eyes quickly changed emotions once he saw Korra wave the teething ring at him, showing that she was really asking a legit question and not just referencing to her old teasing joke she made up when they were in college. "In the bedroom taking a nap."

"So he has been here the whole time," Korra said to herself as she looked the teething ring over, soon realizing that it was new.

"Where else would he be? The cops didn't have child serves take him when they told me what happened, Su hasn't called to say she was going to take him, and Bolin and Opal put him in my care before they left so I didn't know what else to do." Mako's eyes changed from slightly angry and annoyed to nothing. He was going back to how he was at the beginning, just going through the motions.

"Have you ever thought about talking to someone about this and what it's done to you," Korra asked, going to full work mode once she saw the dead look in Mako's eyes.

"Last time I checked, you weren't that kind of doctor," Mako said before throwing his beer back.

"I'm not, but I know a good one that works at the hospital. Of course he's used to working with patients who have night terrors after being in traumatic situations, but he does have experience with veterans that suffer from PTSD like you-."

"I got that fixed," Mako interrupted.

"You're taking medication for it so you won't have an episode at work. The memories are still there and some of my patients have told me that therapy helped them with that a lot. Besides with the accident now on your shoulders, it could be something to consider."

Mako rolled his eyes, annoyance entering them again. "Are you just going to sit there and council me about how I should live my life and grieve?"

"No," Korra answered as she shook her head.

"Then leave already," Mako deadpanned before taking another sip of his beer. "You're still good at that, aren't you?"

Korra swallowed another angered reply. "That's not going to happen City Boy," she said as she pushed herself up and threw her unfinished slice of pizza in the box before closing it and picking it up.

"What are you talking about? Hey!" Mako tried to reach out for his beer after Korra took it out of his hand as she walked by.

"I'm saying that you're stuck with me for a while Detective," Korra answered as she moved around the open kitchen with a sense of familiarity. She set the pizza box on the table and squatted down to one of the bottom cabinets to look for a Ziploc bag. "You really need to go grocery shopping," Korra huffed as she pulled out an empty Ziploc box. She stood and threw the box in the trash and went to dump the rest of the contents of Mako's beer in the sink and then throwing the bottle in the recycling bin underneath the counter.

"What do you mean I'm stuck with you?"

"Well, if you went to the will reading yesterday like you were supposed to, you would know what I mean." Korra looked around the small kitchen, surprised about how full the sink was and how unkempt the counters were once she noticed it. "You know, I feel kind of insulted seeing that you can be messier than me."

"What was so import that happened at the will reading that needed me to be there so badly?"

Korra paused her movements for a moment and started to pull at her fingers. "Well, Bo and Opal had it written that if anything were to happen to them," Korra paused for a moment as she turned to face Mako without looking at him, "that we were to be named San's legal guardians."

Mako was taken aback from the statement. He really didn't know how to respond to that, but a very confuse sounding, "What," still passed his lips.

Korra threw her hands down out of frustration. "Look, they wrote that part when we were together and I guess they never thought to change it. But their wills said that if anything were to happen to them, and I quote, "San would be put in the care of his uncle," you, "and godmother," me."

"Ok, but it's not engraved by law. I mean, of course the last thing Bo and Opal would want is for San to end in foster care or an orphanage and have the childhood me and Bo had, but they can't expect us to take care of him. I mean, we both have busy jobs, the hatchet between us hasn't been buried yet, and there's other people more suitable than us." Mako didn't want to dump his nephew on anyone else – that was the last thing on his mind. But the thought of him being thrown into his past and possibly giving San an environment of busy and constantly arguing guardians was definitely one his nephew was not meant to live in.

"Does he really Mako?" Korra was calm during this whole conversation, most likely due to giving bad news and having life changing conversations with patients during her practice. But her body language was giving her away. Korra was white knuckling the back of the chair in front of her and keeping her eyes cast down, giving away that this conversation was just as painful to talk about as it was to Mako. "I mean think about it. Your grandmother is too old to worry about a baby, your aunt and uncle are planning to retire and move to the tropics now that all their kids have their own lives, Lin is married to her job and barely has any experience with children, and Su," Korra paused again, "Su's a wreck. Do you really think that she's in a good position to take in a child right now? Her own grandson a matter of fact."

Mako ran his hands through his messy and slightly wet hair. "I don't see why you think you have to stay in the picture. San and I have been just fine on our own for a month now. We don't need anyone else."

Korra cut her eyes up at Mako, feeling a little hurt from his words. "What about when you go back to work? Lin only gave you a two weeks extension on your leave."

"I'll figure something out. Just like how I always do," Mako snapped, his frustration rising. "I was able to raise Bolin growing up, I can damn well raise my own nephew by myself!"

"This is different! Bolin was a child and you two were in the foster system and an orphanage! San is a baby and you're an adult who purposely works himself to the bone and who has trouble taking care of himself!"

The two let their anger show on their faces as they stared at each other with intense, narrow eyes; the air between them growing thicker as each second passed.

Korra was the first to break the stare off and focused on her hands, finally realizing how tight her grip on the chair in front of her was. She let go and flexed her fingers as she let out a calming sigh, which didn't do much to help her inner mood. "What happened to us? We used to get along so well and were happy. Now all we do is fight and bicker and insult each other till the other storms off in a rage."

"I don't know why you're asking me when you know what caused this," Mako responded as he looked away and down the small hall toward his bedroom.

"I keep telling you, I didn't mean to hurt you like I did," Korra said as she pushed back some strands of her short hair behind her ear.

"Right," Mako said sarcastically as he nodded his head. "Kind of like how you didn't mean to start that fight and refuse to resolve it. Like how you didn't mean to pack up while I was asleep and leave. And, oh, let's not forget my favorite part. You know, the part where you didn't mean to hook-up and move in with my ex less than a month after you left and then bring her to Bolin's wedding."

"Don't bring Asami into this," Korra snapped as she narrowed her eyes at Mako again. "She didn't know. I didn't know. So don't pull her into our growing pool of problems. And as much you probably hate me for what I did – again, I am very sorry for doing it – but, I'm here for San, and you obviously need the help."

The two stared at each other again. Neither of them wanted to give up this time. Once a small cry came out from the bedroom, Korra and Mako finally broke their gazes and turned to that direction, waiting to see whether the cry was going to escalate or not. The cry stayed at the same small steady whimper that it started as and Korra finally decided to act. "Whether you like it or not," Korra said as she walked past Mako to get her bags from the floor, "we're San's best option so you're stuck with me."

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Please let me know what you thought. It's been awhile since I've written something this long so I'm a little rusty. I will be continuing this, just can't guarantee when the next update will be.


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